Her Outback Surprise

by Annie Seaton

  He dropped his head and took her lips again before he opened the door. “See you later,” he said.

  She watched as he vaulted over the low hedge and ran for Garth’s ute.

  Nothing had changed. Not one iota. Same Liam. Same priorities.

  “Seeing each other” was not enough for Angie. Liam was happy to spend time with her when it was convenient for him. It was quite clear that she came a big second to whatever this new job was that he was sure he was going to get.

  No “I love you” or “I can’t live without you.” Nothing had changed. She’d had her last night with him, and she wasn’t prepared to put herself through heartbreak again. Maybe it was too late, but she could do something about protecting her heart.

  Before Liam had even backed out of the driveway, Angie had her phone out and was scrolling through her contacts.

  …

  “Angie, the delivery from Austin’s is in the examination room, the first appointment is cranky Mr. Davis, and are you okay to go to the B&S ball meeting tonight? Sally was on the phone to remind you as soon as I arrived.” Cissy rolled up the blinds on the front of the surgery. “I said I’d pass the message on.”

  “Um, no.” Angie jingled her keys nervously in her hand. “I’ve had a bit of a family thing. I have to go to Melbourne.”

  Cissy’s eyebrows raised. “Oh. When are you leaving?”

  “I’ve got a locum organised and I’ll be leaving as soon as he arrives.”

  “Today?” Cissy looked at her curiously and Angie nodded.

  “I hope everything is okay.”

  “Yep, nothing major.” Nothing apart from the fact that she was a coward. A coward unable to risk putting her trust in those little words that Liam had dropped as he left a couple of hours ago. Angie had been on automatic pilot since then. Ringing Steve, the locum who she knew was available for either short-term or long-term replacement. He’d just come off a long placement in Dubbo and was happy to help her out for as long as she needed. She just needed to find somewhere to stay in Melbourne where she was prepared to hide out until Liam moved on. And she needed to put some thought into whether she was brave enough to come back to Spring Downs.

  Yep. A coward.

  “You are out in the sticks here, Angie.” It was just after noon. Steve had arrived and Angie was giving him a quick tour of the surgery. “But it looks like a great surgery you’ve bought. Happy to come out and relieve you any time you need. My girlfriend has moved to Dubbo so I’ll take any western work that comes up. I’m keen to move out here permanently.”

  “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” Angie and Steve had worked together on a few occasions and she knew he’d look after the business for her. And here was a man who was willing to move for his woman. Her resolve firmed even more.

  “You can bunk at my house. I’ve made up the bed for you in the bedroom off the kitchen. Help yourself to anything there.” Angie handed him the key. “And Steve, thanks for being available at such short notice. I’ll let you know when I’m coming back.”

  “Like I said on the phone, I’m right till after Christmas.”

  Angie saw Cissy’s eyebrows rise.

  “Are you driving right through to Melbourne today?” the vet nurse asked.

  “No, Cis. I’m only going as far as Coonabarabran this afternoon.”

  “Well, you drive safely then, sweetie.” She reached over and enfolded Angie in a motherly hug. “I hope everything is okay.”

  “Thanks. I’ll give you a call when I get to Melbourne. And,” she held up her phone, “I’ve always got my mobile on.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Thanks, mate. Send me the email now and I’ll confirm for you.” Liam clicked the mouse and closed the Skype window. He propped his elbows on the kitchen bench and stared out at the golden heads of wheat as he waited for the confirmation email to come through from Sydney. He nodded his head as certainty filled him. He’d made the right choice, and his lightness of spirit, and the anticipation for the future that was zinging through him, was an indication that for the first time in a very long time he was on the right track.

  He was listening to his heart.

  The email arrived with a ding. Liam opened it, clicked on the link to the e-document, added an electronic signature and clicked the submit button. The smile on his face was wide as he headed for the laundry to collect Willow.

  “What are you looking so happy about, Liam?” Gran walked into the laundry with an armful of clean washing. The fresh smell of the linen filled the room, and Liam knew his smile was goofy.

  “Just feeling good, Gran.”

  “So your interview went well then?” Gran shook her head. “How can they possibly know that you’re the right man for the job talking over a computer?”

  “You could say that.” Liam didn’t want to say too much. Angie was going to be the first one to hear his news. “I’m just heading into town, Gran. Anything you or Pop want while I’m there?”

  “Someone who wants to stay here and look after the family farm would be nice.” Her mutter was cranky.

  “Love you, Gran.” Liam hugged her on the way past and the washing began to slip from her arms.

  “Now look what you’ve made me do.”

  “Come on, Willow. I’ve got a little surprise for you.” Liam whistled as he slipped the collar over the pup’s neck. The pup was growing so quickly, he’d had to widen the collar by a couple of notches. “We’re going for a drive.”

  He’d dropped Garth’s ute back and Lucy’s eyes had opened wide when he’d driven into the Mackenzie farm with the wheels spinning this morning.

  “Sorry I’m late, Garth. I got caught up in town.”

  Lucy stood at the door waving them off, holding James, her smile wide, when they left for Garth to drop Liam back to Prickle Creek Farm.

  The farm work could wait. Angie had been quiet when he left and he wanted to get back there and tell her his good news. Liam wanted—no, needed—to see Angie again.

  This time he’d insist they keep their hands off each other, and there would be time to talk. Last night and this morning any discussion had disappeared in a haze of lazy loving.

  Tonight he’d take her out, where nothing could distract them. Hell, it would have to be the RSL or the Chinese restaurant, not the most romantic setting, but they wouldn’t get sidetracked if they were out in public. He was going to tell Angie Edmonds he loved her, and that he was never going to let her go again. If she wanted him. That was the sticking point.

  He couldn’t let her think too much. She’d always over-thought things and if he left her alone too long, she’d come up with some reason to avoid him. After last night, he wasn’t going to let her go but when he’d left, she’d been so quiet…

  Pop patted Liam’s shoulder as he went down the steps.

  “Farm’s looking great, Liam. You’ve done a grand job.”

  “Thanks, Pop. I’ll be back later. We need to have a serious chat.”

  “Take your time.” Pop winked at him. Lucy had obviously been talking.

  As he drove past Angie’s house, Liam noticed her car wasn’t in the carport. Knowing his luck, she’d been called out to a farm visit. He parked the car and attached Willow’s lead to her collar. Liam pushed open the door of the surgery and smiled as the pup plonked her butt on the step and refused to go in the door. He bent down and picked her up.

  “It’s okay, just a little jab, and I’m sure Angie will have a liver treat for you. If Angie’s here,” he said hopefully, looking at Cissy as she came out of the examination room. The waiting room was empty and Liam frowned as an unfamiliar man in a white coat followed Cissy. He held his hand out to Liam.

  “Hi, I’m Steve Windell. I’m filling in for Angie. Who have we got here?”

  “This is Willow.” Liam shook his hand and looked over at Cissy. “Filling in?”

  “Angie’s gone to Melbourne. Some sort of family emergency.”

  A chill ran through Liam. Bloody hell, he kne
w it. He’d frightened her off.

  “When’s she due back?”

  “Not sure,” Cissy said. “Maybe not till after Christmas.”

  “What?” His voice came out in a croak as disbelief slammed through him. There was no family emergency. Angie had no family. It had to be something he’d said—or done. He tried to figure out what had happened. And what he had to do to fix it.

  He wasn’t going to let her go. No matter what she argued. No matter what she tried to use as an excuse. After spending the night with her, Liam knew they had a future. They were right together. He loved Angie, and he should have told her.

  Hell, he should have told her months ago and not let her leave London. He’d known then that she was the most important thing in his life, but he’d been a coward.

  Jobs didn’t matter. Where they lived didn’t matter.

  Angie was all that mattered.

  But he’d blown it again. He’d let her go again. Closing his eyes, he fought the cold despair that was settling in his chest.

  Maybe it was too late. He shouldn’t have left her this morning until they’d talked it out. Until he’d told her he loved her.

  He looked up. Cissy and the locum vet were staring at him worriedly. He straightened as resolve flooded through him.

  “Cissy, how long ago did she leave?” His voice was urgent.

  “About an hour.” Cissy frowned and then a smile crossed her face as she looked at him. “But if you’re thinking about following her, she’s only going as far as Coonabarabran this afternoon.”

  Steve scratched his head. “She asked me about motels there and I told her to stay at the Cattlemen’s Inn. They do a good feed there.”

  Liam felt like kissing the pair of them. “Can I ask a favour?”

  Cissy nodded and held her arms open. “You want to leave Willow here?”

  Liam passed the puppy over with a grin. “I owe you one, Cissy.”

  “It’s fine. I’ll take her home for the night. The kids will love her.”

  Steve was shaking his head as Liam ran for the door. “Thanks, guys.”

  It was exactly one hundred kilometres from Spring Downs to Coonabarabran. Liam glanced at his watch as he turned out of town onto the main road that led through the Warrumbungle Ranges. It was just after two o’clock and he hoped that Angie hadn’t decided it was too early to stop for the night. If she kept going, he’d have no chance of catching her up, and trying to find her in Melbourne would be impossible. He had to catch her; he had to tell her he loved her. A glimmer of what had gone wrong had come to him as he drove out of town. Angie had climbed straight out of bed when he’d mentioned that damned Skype interview.

  Of course that would have turned her cold. He’d let her go before and by going on about his job interview this morning, she would have seen it as him leaving her. There was no difference. Last time he’d let her go, and that was as bad as leaving her. That’s what she would have seen this time.

  Man, I’ve been an insensitive jerk!

  He slammed his hands on the steering wheel as the first roadwork stop sign appeared ahead.

  God, please let me find her. The words ran through his head in time with the wheels as the car ploughed on towards Coonabarabran. There was more traffic than he’d expected on the road, and the trip was slow. As he was held up by roadworks just past the Siding Spring Observatory turnoff, he thought about how far he’d come since he’d let her go. He’d blown it when he hadn’t told her that he loved her in London. And he’d let her leave without him, putting his career ahead of her. This time he would fight for her.

  What chance did he have of winning her back? He was going to try his bloody best to do it. He knew why he was here, but had no idea how to approach it. He’d take it slow, and let Angie’s reaction guide how much he said. That was the logical way to approach her. Softly, softly.

  But whichever way it went, he was going to be honest. Angie was more important to him than any job.

  It was way past time for honesty.

  What happened after that was an unknown.

  No more. Angie was the most important person in his life and he had to have faith.

  By the time he hit the outskirts of Coonabarabran, Liam’s stomach was in knots. It would serve him bloody well right if she was gone. It would serve him bloody well right if she was there and laughed because he’d followed her. It would serve him bloody well right if she didn’t want to hear him out. But if it meant Angie’s happiness, he would be satisfied with that. By the time Liam drove past the caravan park, across the Castlereagh River, and through the business district of the small town, his stomach was churning He glanced at the GPS on the dashboard; the motel was on the southern exit for town. His heart was in his throat as he spotted it ahead.

  There was a high hedge at the front of the motel and along the drive leading to reception. The motel rooms and the cars were hidden from view. He pulled to a stop outside the office and climbed out of the car. A buzzer sounded as he opened the sliding glass door leading into the office. The desk was unattended and he tapped his fingers on his thigh as he waited for someone to attend to him. Five slow minutes passed and every scenario ran through Liam’s thoughts as he waited. She hadn’t stopped. She’d say she loved him but wasn’t prepared to take a risk on his staying around.

  Jeez, where is the bloody receptionist? Every minute he waited was adding to the distance between him and Angie, if she had decided not to stop. There were two different motorways you could take to Melbourne. If she wasn’t here, there was no way he’d find her. He groaned and thumped his fist on his thigh as he turned for the door. As he opened it, a young woman in a navy skirt and white shirt stepped in.

  “I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting. I’m by myself today and a guest who’s just checked in needed milk for her room.”

  “Oh that’s great.” He wondered if they would tell him if Angie was a guest or not. “I was on the road behind my friend from Spring Downs and I wondered if she’d arrived yet.”

  The woman looked at him curiously as though sussing out what his intentions were. “No, this is a single room.”

  “Yes, that’s fine. Could you tell me what room she’s in?”

  The receptionist shook her head. “Sorry. No.”

  There was only one way to get around it. “Do you have another single for the night? For me?”

  “One moment, please.” The woman walked behind the desk and clicked on the keyboard. “Um, we’re pretty full. There’s a conference on at the RSL club. I only have one room left. It’s the suite that we normally reserve for our wedding couples.”

  “I’ll take it.” Liam dug into his pocket for his wallet. Once he’d checked in he could look for Angie’s car. He was going to look mighty foolish if it wasn’t her who had checked in.

  “Just the one night?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  By the time Liam had paid and been given the key and directed to a parking spot at the far end of the motel, his heart was in his throat. He jumped in the ute, started it, and drove around the back of the reception area.

  He closed his eyes briefly as joy surged through him.

  Angie’s car was parked at the far end of the building. Next to the room he had just booked for the night.

  “Thank you,” he mumbled.

  Chapter Twenty

  Angie stood in the small kitchenette of the motel room, waiting for the kettle to boil. She opened one of those awful packets of instant coffee, and tapped it into the mug before peeling back the foil on the long-life milk the receptionist had just dropped in to her.

  It had probably been silly to travel such a short distance for the first leg of her trip, but it didn’t matter if she took a week to get to Melbourne. She had nowhere to go, and no one to see when she got there. In fact, as she thought about it, there was no reason to even make Melbourne her destination just because it had been home once and it was familiar to her. There was no need to hide there and lick her wounds. She could go a
nywhere to fill in the time while she thought about what to do.

  Angie poured the boiling water into the mug. She was unnaturally calm and determined not to feel sorry for herself. It was the right thing, leaving Spring Downs. If she’d waited for Liam to come to see her tonight, she knew he would have asked her to stay with him until he went back to Sydney, and she wouldn’t have been able to resist him. Just more heartbreak. Running away might have been the cowardly thing to do, but it was the easiest way to deal with it.

  She sipped the hot coffee, ignoring the heavy feeling in her chest. She’d gotten over Liam before and she’d do it again. If Steve was moving to the outback, maybe he was looking for a business to buy. She had no ties in the Pilliga, and could start up another business anywhere else in Australia, if needs be. She’d probably come out of it square, and there was sure to be another rural practice for sale.

  A long way from the Pilliga Scrub.

  Once Liam went to Sydney, she’d go back to Spring Downs. Having Steve there for as long as she needed was a godsend. If he was interested, that would be a bonus; if not, she’d put the practice on the market.

  Making plans made Angie feel better. No way was she going to fall in a heap again. No man would do that twice to her.

  Even if I do love him.

  She wandered over to the window. The front of the room looked out over a colourful garden. Like Mum used to say when they were short of money: something will happen, chicken. And it always had. They’d survived. Mum had even got her through university with that philosophy.

  Angie opened the curtain and sighed. Something will happen.

  She jerked back as a large figure walked past the window. Closing her eyes, she shook her head as the hot coffee sloshed out of her mug.

  No. It couldn’t be.

  No. No. No.

  Oh, jeez, something had happened and it was the last thing she wanted. Or expected.

  With a deep breath, she opened her eyes and stepped back from the window as someone knocked gently on the door. Okay, so something was about to happen.